** South Korea’s KOSPI stock index edged down on Thursday, due to losses in Hyundai Motor Group shares. Both Korean won and bond yields rose.

** At 06:32 GMT, the KOSPI closed down 6.60 points, or 0.32 percent, at 2,069.95.

** Hyundai Motor Group shares tumbled following a Reuters report that U.S. prosecutors are investigating if Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors’ vehicle recalls over engine defects were conducted properly. Shares of both Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors closed down more than 5 percent, while the company’s parts affiliate Hyundai Mobis closed 8.7 percent lower.

** Shares of Samsung C&T ended down 6.0 percent to an all-time low on lingering concerns over the audit into the company, after the financial regulator took a disciplinary action on its unit, Samsung BioLogics, on Nov. 14.

** The won was quoted at 1,129.2 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform, 0.21 percent firmer than its previous close at 1,131.6.

** In offshore trading, the won was quoted at 1,129.9 per U.S. dollar, down 0.25 percent from the previous day, while in one-year non-deliverable forwards it was being transacted at 1,109.95 per dollar.

** MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was up 0.18 percent, after U.S. stocks ended the previous session with gains ahead of its thanksgivings holiday. Japanese stocks rose 0.65 percent.

** The KOSPI is down around 15.8 percent so far this year, and down by 6.82 percent in the previous 30 days.

** The current price-to-earnings ratio is 12.10, the dividend yield is 1.28 percent and the market capitalisation is 1,242.04 trillion won.

** The trading volume during the session on the KOSPI index was 237,048,000 shares and, of the total traded issues of 893, the number of advancing shares was 249.

** Foreigners were net sellers of 44,732 million won worth of shares, extending its sell-off to an eighth session.

** The U.S dollar has risen 5.96 percent against the won this year. The won’s high for the year is 1,053.55 per dollar on April 2 2018 and low is 1,146.26 on October 11 2018.